Presser-lifter actuating device for sewing machines



Jan. 5, 1937. w. A. AND RES 2,067,038

PRESS-ER LIFTER ACTUATING'DEVICE FOR SEWING ,YMACHINES Filed Nov 26 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 3mm l illiwm A.Andres w. A. Awbk 2,067,03

v PRESSER LIFTER ACTUATING DEVICE FOR'SEWI'NG. MACHINES Filed Nov. 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 ll jb'llidm A.AnLcZre-s- Patented Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE PRESSER-LIFTER ACTUATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES William A. Andres, Bridgeport, Conrn, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 26, 1935, Serial No. 51,571

8 Claims. (Cl. 112-237) This invention relatesrto improvements in kneeshift devices for operating presser-lifter mechanisms of sewing machines and has for one of its objects to facilitate the installation of knee-shift devices of this character.

The invention also aimsto provide a knee-shift device which is adaptable for actuating the presser-lifter mechanisms of difierent types of sewing machines and to meet the individual reli) quirementsof different sewing machine operators.

Withthese and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferredembodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is'a front side elevation of a sewing machine and of the improved knee-shift presserfig lifter device applied to the under side of the table supporting the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the "knee-shift device as viewed from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section taken substantially on the line '33' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the supporting bracket of the knee-shift device with the swinging member arms connected thereto shown in section. Fig. 5 representsa perspective view of the swinging'.yoke-member of the knee-shift device. "Fig.

'30 6 represents a sectional View similar to Fig. 3, but with the knee-shift device applied to the table for use with a left-hand sewing machine, 1. e., a sewing machine having its driving pulley at the left hand side *of the operator.

' Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine has a bed-plate I, suitably supported in an opening .2 provided in the machine-supporting table 3. -Rising from the bed-plate I is the standard f: a'bracketarm 5, overhanging the bed-plate 10 and terminating at its free end in a head 6. Journaled for vertical reciprocation in the head 6 is the usualn'eedle bar 1 carrying at its lower end a 'needleB, the needle-bar beingreciprocated by any usual or suitable actuating mechanism.

Also journaled in the head l5 for vertical movement is the usual yieldingly depressed presserbar 9; to the lower end of which is secured a presser-foOt "Ill. 'Operatively connected to the press'er-b'ar 3 is one arm of a lifter-lever H extending lengthwise of and disposed at the rearward "side of the bracket-arm 5, the lifter-lever H being pivotally supported, intermediate its ends, by a fulcrum-screw l2 threaded into the rear wall of said bracket-arm. 'Pivotally connected to the other-end of said lifter-lever H is a connecting-rod l3 having its bent lower end hooked to one arm of an intermediate lever l4. The lever i4 is fulcrumed between the depending earsiof a bracket l5 secured to the under side of the machine bed-plate l adjacent to the rear edge thereof, a spring I6 yieldingly urging the connecting-rod arm of said lever l4 into raised position. The above described presser-lifter mechanism is commercially well known.

Secured by screws I! to the under side and adjacent the front edge of the table 3 is the supporting bracket 18 of the improved knee-shift device. The bracket i8 is provided with slots [9 receiving said screws H, the slots I9 being elongated to provide for adjustment of the bracket longitudinally of the table 3. At the under side of the bracket I8 is a bearing boss 20 apertured to receive a fulcrum-pin 2|, extending transversely of the bed-plate l and projecting beyond the opposite ends 'of the boss 20, said fulcrumpin being secured by a set-screw 22. The bracket I8 is additionally provided with a lug 23 which is vertically apertured to adjustably receive a stoppin 24 "secured .in adjusted position by a setscrew 2-5.

Pivotally hung upon the fulcrum-pin 2| are the laterally spaced arms 26 and 21 of a swing ing .member or yoke, said arms having alined apertures Hand 29 receiving the fulcrum-pin 2|. The .arm 21 of'the swinging member is extended beyond the fulcrum-pin to provide a stop-lug 30 adapted to engage the lower face of the bracket I8 at the side of the bracket-boss 20 opposite to thatiprov-ided with the stop-pin 24. The stoplug 30is arranged to arrest the movement of the swinging member into retracted position, in which said member is inclined to the vertical plane containing the pivotal axis of the swingizng member. The swinging member is provided, between the arms 26 and 21 thereof, with a lug 3i having a stop-shoulder 32 adapted to engage the stop-pin 24 to limit the presser-foot lifting movement of the swinging member.

The lug 3| is provided with an aperture 33 in which an angular knee-pad carrier rod 34 is secured, by 'a set-screw 35, for adjustment of the rod 34 angularly and also horizontally crosswise of the pivotal-axis of the swinging member. The rod 34 has a downwardly bent arm 34 upon which is secured a knee-pad 36 having an apertured lug 31 receiving the rod-arm 34. A knee-pad securing set-screw 38 provides for adjustment of the knee-pad vertically upon and also angularly about the rod 34.

The free end of the swinging member has a transverse aperture 39 detachably receiving an endwise and angularly adjustable supporting bar 40 disposed substantially parallel to the fulcrumpin 2|, said bar being adjustably secured to the swinging member by a set-screw 4|. The bar 40 extends rearwardly from the swinging member toward the rearward side of the machine bed-plate, the rearwardly extending portion of said bar having a transverse aperture to receive a vertically extending rod 42 secured to the bar 40 by a set-screw 43 for vertical and also angular adjustment of the rod 42. The upper end of the rod 42 is suitably provided with a capplate 44 underlying and disposed contiguously to the intermediate lever l4. As illustrated in the drawings, the rod 42 extends through a suitably formed aperture 45 provided in the usual drip-pan 46 disposed in the table-opening 2.

It will be understood, from the foregoing description, that the adjustable knee-pad 36 and carrier rod 34 provide for adapting the device to meet the requirements of different operators. The single supporting bracket I8, together with the provision for adjustment thereof, provide for conveniently securing the device to the under side of the machine table in required position. The adjustability of the cap-rod 42 and the stoppin 24 provide for meeting the presser-foot lifting requirements of the machine, while the gravitational return into retracted position of the padcarrying swinging member makes for ease of operation of the knee-shift.

An outstanding feature of the present invention is that the present knee-shift device is adapted for use with either leftor right-hand sewing machines. As illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the lifter-lever II and the connectingrod I3 therefor of a left-hand machine are disposed at the rearward side of the bracket-arm, as in right-hand machines, the operator using the left knee to lift the presser-foot. To employ the present knee-shift device with a left-hand machine, or to provide for operating the device by the left knee of an operator, the supporting bracket I8 is turned end for end, the reversed bracket being secured to the under side of the table 3, adjacent to the front edge thereof, in a suitable position of the bracket. The bar 40 is removed from the swinging member and is inserted into the aperture 39 from the rearward side thereof, i. e., to extend rearwardly from the swinging member, said bar 40 being again secured by the set-screw 4| in a position such that the cap-plate 44 underlies the intermediate lever M which is pivotally supported at the under side of the machine bed-plate adjacent the rearward edge thereof. It will be understood that no additional parts are required in the adaptation of the lifter device to either a leftor a right-hand sewing machine, i. e., for either left or right knee operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a swinging member sidewise reversibly attachable to the sewing machine supporting table to depend from the under side of said table, a bar extensible in the same direction from said member in either of the reverse positions of said member, and means carried by said bar for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

2. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a swinging member sidewise reversibly attachable to the sewing machine supporting table to depend from the under side of said table adjacent the front edge thereof, a bar rearwardly extensible from said member in either of the reverse positions of said member, means for rigidly securing said bar to said member in different set positions of the bar, and means carried by the rearwardly extending portion of said bar for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

3. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a bracket attachable in endfor-end reverse positions thereof to the under side of the sewing machine supporting table, a member pivotally depending from said bracket and provided with an aperture below and substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said member, a bar having one end thereof insertable in the aperture of said member from either end of said aperture to extend in the same direction from said member in either of the reverse positions of said bracket, means for rigidly securing said bar to said member in different set positions of the bar, and means carried by said bar for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

4. A knee-shift presser-lifter actuating device for table-supported sewing machines having a presser-lifter lever, comprising, a swinging member sidewise reversibly attachable to the sewing machine supporting table to depend from the under side of said table adjacent the front edge thereof, a knee-pad carried by said member for adjustment in substantially transverse directions, a bar rearwardly extensible from said member in either of the reverse positions of said member, and an endwise adjustable rod carried by and extending transversely of said bar adapted to operatively engage the sewing machine presser-lifter lever.

5. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a bracket attachable to the under side of the sewing machine supporting table adjacent the front edge thereof, a member pivotally depending from said bracket, opposed stops for limiting swinging movements of said member, a knee-pad carried by said member for adjustment in substantially transverse directions, a bar extending rearwardly from said member, means for securing said bar to said member in different set positions of the bar, and means carried by the rearwardly extending portion of said bar for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

6. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a bracket attachable in endfor-end reverse positions thereof to the under side of the sewing machine supporting table adjacent the front table-edge, a member pivotally depending from said bracket for swinging movements about an axis extending crosswise of said table, a bar detachably secured to and rearwardly extensible from said member in either of the reverse positions of said bracket, said bar in secured position thereof being disposed substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said member, and means carried by the rearwardly extending portion of said bar for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

7. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a bracket attachable to the under side of the sewing machine supporting table, a swinging member having laterally spaced arms pivotally attached to and depending from said bracket, an apertured lug carried by said member and providing a stop-shoulder disposed between said arms, a knee-pad carrying rod secured in the lug aperture, means carried by said member for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presserlifter mechanism, and a stop-pin adjustably disposed upon said bracket for engagement by said stop-shoulder in the swinging movement of said member in one direction.

8. A knee-shift device for operating presserlifter mechanisms of table-supported sewing machines, comprising, a bracket attachable to the under side of the sewing machine supporting table, a swinging member having laterally spaced arms pivotally attached to and depending from said bracket, one of said arms having an extension thereof disposed for engagement with said bracket and limiting swinging movement of said member into inoperative position, a lug carried by said member and apertured transversely of the pivotal axis of said member, a stop-pin adjustably disposed upon said bracket for engagement by said lug and limiting movement of said swinging member into operative position, a knee-pad carrying rod secured in the lug aperture, and means carried by said member for transmitting operative movements of said member to the sewing machine presser-lifter mechanism.

WILLIAM A. ANDRES. 

